Category Archives: Welcome to Liad

Aside

July 17, 2011
Korval.com has been on the web in one form or another since 1995. It began as a “practice” html web page entitled Authors of the Liaden Universe. From that one simple page, it grew, and grew again, then grew some more — in all directions at once.

As you can imagine, the contents of an author-grown website with a core of hand-set html can get…a little unwieldy after 16 years, so we’re rebuilding. This is something we’ve long intended to do, and had started to do, once or twice, only to have publishing contracts come down, or Life Happen, and interrupt the work.

We still have publishing commitments — three books due to Baen by late summer 2012 — so the upgrade here is going to be slow, but, we hope, steady. We ask for your patience in advance, and thank you for your interest in our affairs.

While you’re waiting for the paint to dry here, you might want to go over here to read brand-new Liaden story “Intelligent Design”. While you’re there, check out the Baen front page for news of upcoming books from a multitude of wonderful authors. For those who have been following the Liaden Universe®, the eBook edition of Ghost Ship is now available from Baen, in multiple formats, all DRM-free.

David Mattingly, creator of the wonderful cover art for Liaden Universe® novels Saltation, Mouse and Dragon, and Ghost Ship sent us an animation of the Ghost Ship cover, which you can see here: Ghost Ship

This kind gift inspired me to link to all of the artists who have created images for Liaden Universe® novels and stories over the years — check them out over in the sidebar.

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Steve and I have only just now returned from the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, with a side trip to Minneapolis to sign (lots and lots) of books at Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore.

We have one more trip scheduled this year. In just two weeks Steve and I, with Phil and Kaja Foglio, Abney Park, and many, many other Very Cool People will be Guests at The Great New England Steampunk Exposition in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The Exposition begins on Friday, September 16, and runs through Sunday, September 18.

This promises to be a delightful and awesome experience, so do plan on attending!

Once we return from the Expo, we’ll be sticking very close to home until it’s time to make the trip to Chattanooga, in mid-January.

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In between all this gallivanting around to WorldCons and Steampunk Expos, we have some writing to do. Rather a lot of writing, as it happens. Here’s a brief rundown of what’s on our plate:

Dragon Ship — Steve is lead writer on this project, which is the sequel to Ghost Ship

George — Sharon is lead writer on this project, which sorta takes place in a pocket of Ghost Ship. If I do it right, it will be another Portal Book into the Liaden Universe®, joining Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Balance of Trade, Local Custom, Fledgling. An amusing, if not outright terrifying, note: We had dinner with Madame the Editor at WorldCon, wherein she inquired after “George.” The die may be cast.

“Guaranteed Delivery” — For the moment, Sharon is lead writer for the original fiction posted on Splinter Universe. This will change as various deadlines approach and are surpassed. This particular story, which I hope to post on September 12, concerns the Ride the Luck courier service.

“The Space at Tinsori Light” — another story destined for Splinter Universe, featuring a yos’Phelium pilot from the Diaries. Shooting for mid-October posting, though here we’re getting near the delivery deadline for Dragon Ship, and all things give way before a book deadline.

Trade Secret — the sequel to Balance of Trade. Steve is lead writer on this project.

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In other news, Liaden Universe® story “Intelligent Design” has aged off of the Baen front page and now joins other excellent stories by Patrick Lundrigan, Larry Correia, Travis S. Taylor, and Robert Buettner in the Baen Free Story 2011 Collection, available here.

“Kin Ties,” a Liaden Universe® story concerning a dead man, his wife, and the daughter of an old enemy, is available to be read at Splinter Universe.

Science fiction and fantasy authors Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are pleased to share the news that they are recipients of the 2012 Skylark Award.

Presented by the New England Science Fiction Association at the annual regional science fiction convention Boskone, the Skylark — formally The Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction — is presented to some person, who, in the opinion of the membership, has contributed significantly to science fiction, both through work in the field and by exemplifying the personal qualities which made the late “Doc” Smith well-loved by those who knew him. Given since 1966, previous recipients include Sir Terry Pratchett, George R.R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Jane Yolen, and Isaac Asimov.

The Winslow, Maine writers received the award in person at a surprise ceremony at Boston’s Westin Waterfront, Saturday, February 18, 2012 with 1990 Skylark winner Jane Yolen attending and sharing her take on the care and feeding of the award.